Whitworth Wander – Turkey Trot, 27th of a very wet December 2023
In memory of the late Brian Whitworth, a fine man, my friend, and a former Hon Sec of Tally-Ho!
The run was intended to be a shade over 8 miles, but the combination of an injured trail layer and a brook that was doing it’s best to be a river, forced a last minute re-route….thankfully.
As in recent years we ran from Little Bollington’s Olde Number 3 (Timothy Taylor’s Landlord and Theakston’s Best), although this time we hopped straight onto the Bridgewater Canal towpath and headed, muddily, into Dunham Park, passing the Swan with Two Nicks en route. The track leading to the park’s rear entrance was ankle deep in floodwater in places.
Thankfully the tracks through the park were relatively mud-free, and because of the nature of the tracks, trail-laying was a simple task.
At Dunham Massey Hall, former seat of the Earl of Stamford, we turned to head SE down Langham Grove, past Island Pool, almost as far as the Scout campsite at Home Farm, when we turned to head north(ish) passing the Deer Barn on our left.
We continued to circumnavigate the park, exiting by a stile onto Charcoal Road. A short section of tarmac followed until, just by the Dunham Brewery, we followed not particularly muddy paths into Dunham Town.
Heading north, and back on tarmac, we crossed the Bridgwater Canal and continued until joining a TransPennine Trail by Grove House Farm.
Now heading west along the soggy track we passed walkers, no doubt keen to burn off some of the excesses of the season.
It was a bit of a scramble to get off the trail using the unofficial exit at the Barns Lane Bridge, but it was manageable.
Barns Lane is a narrow and thankfully very quiet country lane. Just beyond Sam Smith’s Vine Inn we left the tarmac and followed the farm track south, over the River Bollin.
It was just beyond here that the trail was to cross Agden Brook, but it was deep and flowing fast – the enforced re-route took us SE and back to the Bridgewater Canal where we re-joined the muddy towpath which delivered us back to the Olde Number 3.
A goodly number of club members attended and took part in the run, the pub, under new management, was no doubt pleased that so many turned out to drink their beer and eat their meals.
We ended up running a little over 6½ flattish, but muddy miles…but what else would they have done on a wet Wednesday at the end of December?
No photographs I'm afraid, it was too damp.
